2014 Holiday Gift Guide for Her

jcrew plaid vest  //  karl donoghue earmuffs  //  jamie oliver comfort food cookbook  //  h&m chunky-knit tube scarf  //  hunter high heel chelsea boots  //  madewell always turtleneck sweater  //  jo malone lime basil & mandarin home candle  //   jcrew plaid flannel pajamas  //  jcrew passport case

I hope everyone gets what they want this holiday season!

Cheers!

xx, Team Starnes

SCENES FROM X-MAS DAY & ETC.

James and I are very lucky that our parents have become good friends over the past couple years. Our holiday was not split between two families, instead, we merged into one big family. It was wonderful to have everyone we love under one roof, it just made everything very easy for us. I hope we can have many more "Starn-ette" Christmases in the future!

FLASHBACK TO CHRISTMAS MORNING

Sir Winston + Christmas Onesie = Happy Happy Happy

James cheated by putting on "real" clothes. Grrrr.

J and I spent Christmas morning lounging around with big boy. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas present than having this guy at my feet all day. Such a sweetie! xx

REUNION

It was very important for me to capture our reunion with Sir Winston. I knew that we would want to have something to look back on once we got back to London and oh boy! am I glad that I did. We talked to James' parents about keeping Winston inside and away from any windows so that we could greet them without any chaos. After a few minutes with James' parents, we regrouped, got in position and waited for the big baby to run freeeeeeeee!



I CAN NOT describe to you how full my heart was after seeing my sweet angel for the first time in three months! Our family is not complete without our dog and every day I look forward to the time where we will all be together again. Winston has the sweetest disposition and he is truly a dog that aims to please. It was so special to see him so happy and excited to see us!

Here are some of the first moments back with our babe!

SCENES FROM CHARLOTTE

on our way to see our boy!

WEEK THIRTEEN

Week Thirteen was a whirlwind. 

We arrived in Charlotte on Sunday, December 22nd and I split my time between a Welcome Home party at our good friends' Erika and Jesse's home and then a Secret Santa Sleepover at my friend Hanna's home. It was certainly a warm welcome and I will keep those initial and long-awaited hugs close to my heart for the next nine months. 

Our time in Charlotte was spent working, running errands and lounging with friends. We headed to Kernersville, NC to spend the Christmas holiday with our parents and our dog, Sir Winston. After four full days of eating, drinking and cuddling, we headed to Raleigh to visit my sister and brother-in-law and get ready for our NYC vacation. 

The flight up was a bit turbulent, but we got here in one piece! Now, we are in Brooklyn relaxing and getting ready for sightseeing in the morning and the Billy Joel concert on New Year's Eve.  We have been so busy enjoying spending time with friends and family that I am way behind on uploading pictures, but here are a few of my favorites so far!

oh yeah, and I got bangs...

WEEK TEN

We've officially been in London for 10 weeks. WHAT?! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? This week consisted of us getting back into the swing of things since our Scotland vacation. I'm actually surprised at how much I accomplished this week--found our Christmas tree (and decorated it), visited Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4, tackled the British Museum, enjoyed a date night with J on Friday, and another with friends on Saturday. We went to a "quote-along" showing of Elf, which was AMAZING and after the show we went to Canitina Laredo. The best thing about Cantina was the fact that it had queso-- my mind was basically blown! It was a pretty active week, if I say so myself! Now, we are catching up on work and cleaning the flat, just relaxing like we always do on Sundays!

OH, CHRISTMAS TREE

Meet Jolly. At about 3.5 feet (tall&wide), he is destined to put a smile on your face!

Merry Christmas!

xo,

team starnes